Павло Вірський очима Володимира Тимошенка

Personal story of an artist of the ensemble In the second part of Grigory Antimoni's program "Interview Time", Volodymyr Tymoshenko, a soloist of the Pavlo Virsky Dance Ensemble of Ukraine, continues his story about his life, foreign tours, and work in the legendary group. Volodymyr Tymoshenko recalls his first trip to Spain in 1969: Madrid, Bilbao, Toledo, Seville, and other cities that, after the post-war Donbass, seemed like a completely different world to him. He tells how the artists first encountered Western life and compared it with what Soviet propaganda told them. How did they prepare for trips to capitalist countries? Why weren't passports given to artists? What documents did they sign before leaving? How much money did they receive for a concert and where did the bulk of the earned currency go? A separate topic of conversation is Pavlo Virsky's meeting with Otto Skorzeny after the ensemble's concert in Madrid. Volodymyr Tymoshenko was there and tells how it all happened, who invited Skorzeny backstage, and why this story led to inspections, punishments, and a temporary ban on foreign tours. The program also features memories of the inner life of the ensemble: high physical and moral stress, strict demands from Pavlo Virsky, Soviet control, denunciations, artists who were unable to travel, and the fate of dancers after the end of their stage careers. How did the ensemble of Virsky's time differ from today's? What constituted the master's special artistic school? And what was lost after his departure? This is a continuation of a long interview about Pavlo Virsky, his ensemble, and the people who created the glory of Ukrainian dance art.